In an island community, some young dreamers wished to change their lives for their families’ sake.
With unwavering determination and perseverance, an 18-year-old John Mark Fernandez harbors a dream as vast as the ocean.
“Someday, if God permits, I will be the first entrepreneur of Olotayan and be the owner of my own company,” Fernandez said.
Born into a humble fishing family, Fernandez is the second child among the five children of his parents.
Despite his family facing financial difficulties and his parents not having stable jobs and income to meet the needs of the whole family, he remains hopeful that he can help change their lives by earning a higher education.
It is all thanks to “Project Pagtatap,” deemed to be a glimmer of hope for the students of Olotayan Integrated School located on an island that is about a 45-minute ride by boat from the city’s mainland.
The said project is spearheaded by the Department of Education (DepEd) Roxas City Schools Division Office (SDO). It promises to uplift the lives of the island’s most deserving students through the gift of education.
Fernandez, as one of the15 beneficiaries of the projects, expressed his joy to be included in the program.
“The Project Pagtatap gives me hope to achieve my dreams and pursue my education,” Fernandez stated.
Another beneficiary of the program is the 18-year-old Christian Paul Obligar.
Just like Fernandez, his father works as a fisherman while his mother is a stay-at-home wife.
Obligar added that he is grateful for the program because it will help him have a chance to go to college and earn a degree.
“The Pagtatap Program will help me pursue my dreams and become the best policeman in our family,” he said.
Both Fernandez and Obligar are optimistic that through the help of SDO Roxas City, their lives will change for the better.
All 15 beneficiaries have just recently graduated from senior high school at Olotayan Integrated School in Olotayan Island, Roxas City.
This only exemplifies that beyond the four walls of the classroom, the DepEd is dedicated to providing education especially to the underprivileged, helping Project Pagtatap recipients develop a resilient mindset.
By allowing the beneficiaries to follow their dreams, they are not only fostering the students but also planting the seeds of change that will continue to grow in the years to come.
Much more, it is needless to say that investing in these students’ education just as Project Pagtatap, it may create a ripple effect, which will illuminate their brighter paths by opening more doors of opportunities and bridging the gap for their island dream to reality. (AGP/PLF/PIA Capiz)
